Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was spotted on crutches and wearing a knee brace Saturday at a regional MMA event. Shortly later, MMA insider Ariel Helwani reported that Rakhmonov, per his manager Danny Rubenstein, had recently undergone surgery after re-injuring his knee.
The 31-year-old Kazakhstan native is going to be sidelined for 9-10 months and might not fight again until 2027. He hasn’t been in the Octagon since winning a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in the UFC 310 co-main event on Dec. 7 of 2024.
Rakhmonov, the #2 ranked welterweight, had originally been scheduled to face then-champion Belal Muhammad in the UFC 310 headliner, but Muhammad pulled out of the scrap due to a bone infection in his foot. Instead, the unbeaten ‘Nomad’ defeated Garry in a bout that was dubbed a welterweight title eliminator.
After a two-year absence from the cage, however, it seems highly unlikely that Rakhmonov will get a title shot upon his return. And that’s a shame because he had run rampant through the 170-pound loop until pulling out the close decision over Garry.
Nevertheless, Rakhmonov remains optimistic about eventually collecting UFC gold.
“A fighter’s path has never been easy,” Rakhmonov wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter). “Life doesn’t give us challenges we can’t overcome. Every dream comes at a price and sometimes that price is your health. Today, I have to be honest. Due to ongoing injuries, I’ve had another surgery and will need time to fully recover. As a result, my return to the octagon will be postponed.
“It’s not easy to accept but I truly believe every setback is part of a bigger plan. I will come back stronger, smarter and hungrier than ever. My goal is still alive. The UFC belt still has to come to Kazakhstan. Thank you to everyone who stands by me no matter what. This is not the end of the journey. It’s an important chapter of it.”
Rakhmonov finished his first six UFC opponents, including scalps over Alex Oliveira, Neil Magny, Geoff Neal and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. He earned a pair of Performance of the Night bonuses and his third-round submission of Neal garnered Fight of the Night honors.
Rakhmonov finished all of his first 18 foes until Garry took him the five-round distance. He owns 10 career submissions and eight knockouts.